The Best Way to Measure Ingredients: Are You Doing It Wrong?

Who knew that measuring ingredients could be such a hot topic?  For the casual home baker, there is absolutely no reason to put much energy into figuring out the best way to measure ingredients.  But if you’re serious about baking, you’ll find that maybe you’ve been doing it wrong and you’re ready to make a change.

This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission as an Amazon Associate (or other affiliate program) from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products that I use and trust.

 

Why Is It Important To Measure Ingredients Accurately?

 

To be perfectly honest with you, there are definitely some recipes where it really won’t make a difference if your ingredients are off by a tablespoon, give or take.  Heck, when I’m making bread, the amount of flour I use will vary from day to day.

But, other recipes (I’m lookin’ at you macarons) will completely fail if there are significant discrepancies.  Besides risking blunders, weighing ingredients accurately means that your recipe is more reliable and consistent.

 

 

So What’s The Best Way To Measure Ingredients?

 

Get yourself an electric scale.  You can find them in many stores and on Amazon for as little as $10.  I suggest getting one that does ounces AND grams (most will, but double check!).  Using a recipe that lists dry ingredients by weight (ounces or grams) is almost always going to be more accurate.

For liquid ingredients, keep in mind that fluid ounces and ounces are not the same thing.  Fluid ounces are by volume, while ounces are by weight.  For wet ingredients, using fluid ounces, cups, or milliliters are all great forms of measurement.

 

But, Like, Does It Really Matter?

 

Yes.  It really does.  When I went through the casting process for The Great American Baking Show, one of the steps was to answer a basic baking quiz.  Part of that interview included a question about how I measure ingredients.

 

They flat out asked me if I used weight or volume.  Had I only used cups, they wouldn’t have put me through to the next round.  That’s because any serious baker needs to be able to follow a recipe written by volume.  And any serious baker knows that’s the best way to get reliable bakes.

 

 

Let Me Break It Down

 

If you’re measuring a cup of flour, the amount you get into the cup can easily range from 4.5 oz – 5 oz.  That’s a pretty significant difference.  And if you measure all of your dry ingredients by volume, those inconsistencies can add up to mess with your bake.

Besides the fact that using a scale to measure ingredients makes your bakes better, it’s also totes easier!  Generally, I use one bowl to measure the ingredients instead of dirtying up 4 different measuring cups and somehow managing to splash flour everywhere.

 

So, if I’m making a cake, I will set a medium bowl aside with a large mesh sieve over it.  Then I place a small bowl on my scale.  I measure the dry ingredients one by one, and add them to the sieve.  Then I can sift it all together, give them a whisk to combine and my dry ingredients are good to go.

 

Related Reading: 10 Best Basic Baking Tools

 

How To Measure Dry Ingredients

 

With A Scale

 

Place a bowl on your scale, then turn the scale on.  Make sure the scale is set to ounces or grams, depending on the recipe, and that it reads 0.  Add your dry ingredients until you have the right amount.  Boom.  Done.

 

 

With Cups

 

Spoon the dry ingredients into the measuring cup.  Use the back of a knife to carefully scrape off any excess.  Be careful not to pack the ingredients into the cup, unless you are measuring brown sugar.

 

 

You Need To Calm Down

 

Sorry, we’ve been listening to some Taylor Swift gems and that’s been stuck in my head.  Anywho… If you’re not already measuring ingredients by weight, you might be a little mad at me right now.  I’m sorry.  

If you don’t bake often, or if you mostly bake the same recipes, you may not need to change how you measure ingredients.  But in order to expand your baking repertoire and become a better home baker, using a scale is a must.

 

Unlock Pinterest

 

Still not convinced?  I think the United States is the number one (or only) source of recipes written by volume.  And even then, I’m seeing this less and less often.  There are sooooo many amazing recipes out there that only list ingredients by weight.

 

Grab yourself an electric scale and you’ll find that Pinterest is your oyster.  You will no longer get disappointed when you click that amazing recipe pin only to discover that it’s written in ounces.  Honestly, that was the reason I bought my scale in the first place.

 

 

Baking Evolution

 

I only used measuring cups for years and you’ll find that my earlier recipes on this site are still written that way.  But as I honed my craft, I found it so easy to make that switch.  The problem is, I need to convert those old recipes.

To help out with this process, I’ve made a Measurement Conversion Chart.  It’s available for FREE in my Resource Library for all of my subscribers.  The chart includes conversions from cups to ounces for 10 common ingredients.  

 

Are You Ready To Make The Switch?

 

Let me know how you measure ingredients when you bake!  Are you a fan of the scale or do you still like using familiar measuring cups?  No matter what you use to measure ingredients, you’re still making delicious treats that bring a smile to friends and family.  And that’s what really matters. 

Happy Baking!